Tag Archives: Anchorage

ANCHORAGE: Christian Hate Groups To Battle Against Proposed LGBT Rights Bill

For 35 years, LGBT residents of Anchorage, Alaska have battled for employment and housing protections. Time after time Christian groups have beaten them back. Last week activists successfully placed a referendum on the November ballot which adds the words “sexual orientation and gender identity” to this long list: “race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, physical disability, and …

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How To Help Anchorage

For years I’ve blogged about the attempt to gain LGBT protections in Anchorage, Alaska, a campaign that has been ongoing for the last 35 years. Today Dan Savage tips us to an opportunity to help. The LGBT community in Anchorage—sick of waiting for basic civil rights protections—decided to put an equal rights initiative on the ballot. One Anchorage needed to …

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ALASKA: National Anti-Gay Group Joins Local LGBT Employment Battle

In April voters in Anchorage, Alaska will decide whether the city should adopt protections for LGBT residents. The ballot measure was forced by thousands of signatures on a petition drive backed by the local Catholic Church. Just joining the battle is the Alliance Defense Fund, who contends that businesses should have the right to deny employment to gay people. The …

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ALASKA: Anchorage Tries Again With New LGBT Non-Discrimination Referendum

In 2009 the Anchorage Assembly approved a bill banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The mayor promptly vetoed it. Activists are now attempting to take the issue to the ballot box. One Anchorage wants voters to add “sexual orientation or transgender identity” to the list, said the group’s spokesman, Trevor Storrs. “It’s a new name …

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No Veto Override In Anchorage

Last week the mayor of Anchorage vetoed a gay rights bill that had passed the city’s assembly by one vote. And now it looks like there will be no attempt to override his veto. The Anchorage Assembly has less than two weeks left to override the mayor’s veto of the gay rights ordinance. But the ordinance’s author says it likely …

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Anchorage Mayor Vetoes LGBT Rights

Anchorage, Alaska Mayor Dan Sullivan has vetoed the LGBT rights bill that his city’s Assembly approved last week. “My review shows that there is clearly a lack of quantifiable evidence necessitating this ordinance,” Sullivan said. “My review also shows that the vast majority of those who communicated their position … are in opposition. “As elected officials, we are charged with …

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Anchorage Passes Gay Rights Bill

After weeks of often ugly debate, the Anchorage, Alaska city council has voted to approve an ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. Anchorage Assembly members fought back tears Tuesday night before a decision three months in the making — approval of a city-wide ordinance making it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation. The 7 to 4 decision came …

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Anchorage Hears Gay Rights Bill

As a noisy anti-gay crowd outside waved signs saying “Truth is not hate!,” the Anchorage, Alaska city Assembly heard public arguments on their proposed bill to outlaw discrimination against gays for housing, employment, and finance. Opponents were dressed in red, which has become the signature color for anti-gay hate. Allison Mendel, an attorney, told the Assembly, “I want to be …

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Anchorage AK Considers Gay Rights Bill

Alaska’s largest city is considering a gay rights bill prohibiting housing and employment discrimination, but as usual, a wingnut group with “family” in their name is fighting for the right to be bigots. The ordinance would also prohibit discrimination against military veterans, but opponents claim the measure tacked on vets to make it appeal to more people. “There isn’t really …

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